Background information

The Second Vice Presidency and Ministry of Labor and Social Economy; the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration; The trade union organizations CCOO and UGT and the employer organizations CEOE and CEPYME have agreed to extend the Temporary Employment Regulation Files (ERTE) until 28 February 2022.

This extension is intended to maintain this measure of social and employment protection that has proven to be transcendental in the face of the pandemic.

Content of measure

On this occasion, the Temporary Lay-off mechanism (ERTE) focuses on training as a fundamental step to increase the skills of workers and improve their employability. As of 1 November, the new modalities will be in force, with greater exemptions in the Social Security contribution for companies that carry out training actions. As for these training actions, they must be carried out before 30 June 2022.

These temporary lay-off schemes will continue to have protection clauses such as, among others, the so-called zero counter, which is extended until 31 December 2022, or the employment maintenance clause. Also the limitations on subcontracting, the performance of overtime hours or the limits related to the distribution of dividends and access to these aids by companies domiciled in tax havens. An extraordinary unemployment benefit is also recognized for permanent discontinuous workers.

Use of measure

No data available.

Contents

• Employment retention
• Training and employability

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Trade unions Employers' organisations	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative
Form	Direct consultation outside a formal body	Direct consultation outside a formal body

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Peak or cross-sectoral level

Involvement

Similarly to previous extensions in the temporary lay-off mechanism, the initiative to extend it came from social partners, that considered key to maintain duration until the economy has fully recovered from the pandemic crisis. Social partners won't have a major role in the implementation of this policy measure since it is an issue handled directly by the labour and social security ministries.

Views and reactions

Social partners were supportive of this measure and hope this will be the last extension to a mechanisms that has proved key to face the economic and labour market crisis unleashed by the pandemic.

Sources

• 11 May 2021: Acuerdo Social en Defensa del Empleo (www.lamoncloa.gob.es)
• 28 September 2021: Royal Decree Law 18/2021 (www.boe.es)